On 20 May, the Department of Employee Wellbeing Programme (EWP), in collaboration with the Department of Institutional Advancement and the Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI), treated UP’s staff to a physical exercise session at the Hatfield main campus. The physical activities kicked off at 12:00 and ended at 14:00.
One hundred and eighty staff members participated on the day and congregated at the Piazza Student Centre. There they received a basic health check, which included blood pressure checks and a short warm up session led by SEMLI.
Image by: Kopano Mahomele
Participants could walk along the two fitness trails located on the Hatfield campus: the easy route with few physical challenges painted in yellow and the trail with many obstacles marked in white. All the trails offer an assortment of opportunities for staff and students to explore UP and appreciate the fauna and flora.
As the trail walk commenced, the eager and excited staff got the concrete burning, cheered on by the TuksCheerleading V Squad. PDBY interviewed Chuma Msindo, the TuksCheerleading vice-chairperson, who explained, “This is our natural habitat. We love to cheer people on just to put smiles on [their] faces.”
After their day with EWP@UP, the participants were treated to a foot massage therapy session sponsored by the Department of Institutional Advancement.
According to Dr Rina Buys, the head of EWP@UP, “the fitness trail started in 2011 with Prof De la Rey”. But after the Covid-19 pandemic had a debilitating effect on the wellbeing of the UP staff and students, the initiative was earmarked to encourage these individuals to be physically active. There will be more trail walks in July and September this year. Dr Buys indicated that the September trail walk is the “the big one” and that there will be prizes for categories such as best-dressed team and most team spirit.
